Many Montrealers and tourists are changing the once-loved nickname for the Olympic Stadium from the “Big O” to the “Big Owe”. The landmark means a lot to many of the city’s inhabitants. But, this isn’t preventing many from wondering if the costs related to replacing the new roof are worth it
A Montreal Landmark…
Originally built in the mid-1970s as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics, the Olympic Stadium is nicknamed “The Big O”. Designed by Roger Taillibert, it features an elliptical shape and a 165-meter inclined tower. It is the world’s tallest of such a structure.
Once the Olympics were over, it became the home for all major league baseball and football teams in Montreal. (Thanks to the addition of some turf). The stadium is one of the largest in Canada (by seating capacity). However, these seats haven’t been filled for sports-related purposes in many years.
Their main tenants, the beloved Expos relocated to Washington, DC in 2004 and became the Washington Nationals. The Montreal Alouettes also returned to using the Molson Stadium in 1998 for the regular season games. They would only use the Olympic Stadium for playoff, and Grey Cup Games until 2012.
The stadium was mostly used as a multipurpose facility for special events like concerts and trade shows. CF Montréal (previously Montreal Impact) of Major League Soccer (MLS) has used the venue when ticket demand required more seating, or when it would accommodate the weather better.
Or A Money Pit?
$870 million. That is the estimated price tag attached to replacing the roof and technical ring. At least, that’s how much Quebec announced they would spend. They justified this by saying it would attract larger events. Therefore, it would generate $1.5 billion from tourism and “other sources” over ten years.
It must be noted that the estimate comes from a 2009 preliminary report by Gino Lanni. Lanni is an engineer with Groupe Séguin Experts-Conseils Inc. (now called Génius Conseil Inc.). He stated they only had a two-month mandate to compile the study. Needless to say, this would have a potentially wide margin of error. This means the results could be off by “hundreds of millions of dollars”.
The Fire of 2024
Is investing taxpayer’s money into fixing the Olympic Stadium the proper solution? This had already been a topic of conversation for over a decade by the time a fire broke out on March 21, 2024.
While the fire didn’t cause significant structural damage, it did damage in many other ways. It had started at the base of the stadium which is located right next to the building’s ventilation system. This, in turn, facilitated the smoke to spread to all of the tower’s 17 floors. Decontamination costs alone were hefty, not to mention all the repairs and clean-up work needed for the 66,000 square meters. What would this mean for taxpayers? Well, it would cost them tens of millions of dollars.
The Fate of The Olympic Stadium
When we see exorbitant amounts of money mentioned, it can pull us in different directions. Do we invest the money to preserve part of our history? Or, do we send our gratitude for all of the good memories and part ways with the Olympic Stadium?
Will the income generated in the future by having such a landmark be worth the billions of dollars invested? Or, should we put the money to use in different and possibly better ways? Ones that may make a bigger impact on our city and its citizens?
What are your thoughts? Do you think that after all of this time, we should cut our losses and move on to something new? Or, should we hold on to such a large part of our city’s past for as long as possible, no matter the cost? Let us know at Montreal 365!
